The Gospel at School

July 14, 2015

What difference does the good news of Jesus make for students amid their school work and activities?

I know, I know—it’s summer. No one wants to think about school when they come to church. At the same time, summer offers just the kind of breathing room we need, between the weight of academic deadlines and the flurry of extracurricular activities, to let ourselves reflect on a few deeper questions about life and school.

Questions like: What’s the point of school anyway? What is my (or my kids’) education really for? Is this all about me—achieving my dreams, landing a great career, making my parents happy? Is it about having fun, finding approval from my friends, being the best at something, whether art or sports or grades or goofing off? Or is there something more, something deeper to this season of life? What role does my faith play? What role should it play? Is faith capable of playing any role at all?

Our goal at Westgate during the month of July is to help answer those questions by pointing us all to the good news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. The gospel of Jesus is not only about how we can be forgiven our sins and have an eternal relationship with God (though it’s certainly not less than that); it’s also the power of God to change us and guide us right now as we seek to follow him.

So far we’ve had a chance to explore the true purpose of knowledge—not just to know more stuff, but to love God with our minds (Lk. 24:13-32); the honesty and hope Scripture offers when we find ourselves in a crisis of faith (Ps. 73); and how the gospel address our innate need for approval by rooting us in our identity in Christ (Eph. 4:17-32). (Follow the links to find these recent sermons.)

This Sunday (July 19) our Student Minister, Lawrence Klingsheim, will help us wrestle with the question of whose approval we’re living for (“Peer Pressure and the Love of God”), and on July 26, Associate Pastor Bruce Daggett will help us explore our drive to achieve (“Gospel-Centered Ambition”).